What does the new Bill to prevent exam fraud say?, Pg16

Key Highlights:

• The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 was passed by both Houses of Parliament.
• The Bill aims to curb examination malpractices, ensure time-bound investigations, and facilitate speedy trials.
• Its passage followed widespread protests over the alleged leak of the NEET-UG paper in 2024 and the subsequent cancellation of the NEET UG 2026 exam.
• The legislation has been sent for the President’s assent to officially become law.

Public Exam Bill.jpg

Detailed Insights:

• The Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026 is a revised version of the Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024.
• Investigations under the new Bill must conclude within 60 days, and trials within three months of the chargesheet filing in designated special fast-track courts.
• Penalties for general offences have increased to 5-10 years imprisonment and a fine up to ₹50 lakh, up from 3-5 years and ₹10 lakh under the 2024 Act.
• Fines for service providers have been raised to a maximum of ₹5 crore, with debarment extended from 4 to 8 years.
• For organised crime networks, the Bill proposes a minimum imprisonment of 7 years and a fine up to ₹10 crore.
• The Bill restricts courts from granting adjournments beyond the following day without explicit, exceptional reasons.
• All ongoing cases under the 2024 Act will be transferred to newly designated special fast-track courts.
• A major limitation identified is the lack of accountability mechanisms if the two-month investigation timeline is missed.
• The Bill's provision for special fast-track courts faces challenges due to existing system-wide pendency and massive backlogs in such courts.
• The preceding Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Act, 2024 did not secure a single conviction in its two years of operation.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Public Examinations (Prevention of Unfair Means) Amendment Bill, 2026: Legislation aimed at preventing exam fraud and ensuring fair competitive examinations.
• NEET-UG: The National Eligibility-cum-Entrance Test for undergraduate medical courses, which faced alleged paper leaks.
• Special Fast-Track Courts: Designated courts intended to expedite trials related to examination malpractices within a specified timeframe.